Har Ghar Tiranga

88 MN Selfies Uploaded On ‘Har Ghar Tiranga Website’ Till Noon On I-Day

More than 88 million selfies of people from across the country with the national flag were uploaded on the central government’s Har Ghar Tiranga website till 12 noon on Tuesday under the three-day campaign being run since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fresh clarion call on Sunday.

The home page of Har Ghar Tiranga website (tiranga.com) shows an option to upload selfie with tiranga, and mentions that 8,81,21,591 (88 million) selfies with the tricolour were uploaded till 12 noon on Tuesday. The website is asking the public to hoist a flag at their house from August 13 to 15 — the three-day ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign to celebrate the 77th Independence Day.

There are two options on the home page of the Har Ghar Tiranga website to upload a selfie with a flag and digital Tiranga. Scrolling down, the user will see photos of Union ministers, actors and sportspersons with the Indian flag that including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former cricketer Parthiv Patel, actor Anupam Kher and singer Kailash Kher among others.

On the occasion of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, celebrating 75 years of India’s independence, PM Modi launched the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign on July 22 last year. On Sunday, the Prime Minister again urged people through a social media post to change the display picture on their social media accounts to the Tricolour in the spirit of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign.

In order to promote this campaign, PM Modi on Sunday also changed the display picture of his social media accounts to the national flag.

As part of various events planned for the whole week, union ministers participated in the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’’ bike rally at the Pragati Maidan area in Delhi on Friday. The rally, which is the second edition of the campaign, was flagged off by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and also proceeded on Mathura Road, Bhairon Road, India Gate, along with the Pragati Maidan tunnel.

In a video earlier shared by the ANI, Kishan Reddy was seen taking the handle of the bike and riding, while Anurag Thakur sat behind holding the Indian flag in his hand. Chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ were raised during the rally. Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, who hails from Karnataka, was also seen participating in the bike rally.

Meanwhile, Independence Day was celebrated across the country with the PM unfurling the national flag at the Red Fort on Tuesday morning in the presence of various dignitaries, Ministers and school children among others. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Modi: Borders Far More Secure, Calls For Young, Battle-Ready Armed Forces

Addressing countrymen from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the 10th time since taking the country’s highest office in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the borders were “far more secure than ever before”.

He also underlined the need for “mega reforms” in the Indian armed forces.

“Today our borders are far more secure. I extend my heartfelt wishes to my jawans, who are patrolling, keeping vigil, and securing our borders, as well as other security forces on our 77th Independence Day,” PM Modi said.

Underlining the need to usher in urgent reforms in the armed forces in view of evolving security challenges, PM Modi said, “Our armed forces should be young and battle-ready. They should be skilled and equipped to wage wars. The process to bring in reforms in the armed forces is already underway.”

The remarks assume significance as India has been locked in a protracted military standoff with China since May 2020 when troopers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) allegedly tried to alter the status quo of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Galwan Valley in Arunachal Pradesh.

Indian troops thwarted a similar alleged misadventure by the Chinese forces at Yang Tse near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh in December 2022.

Before addressing fellow countrymen on the 77th Independence Day, PM Modi paid floral tributes at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat.

Earlier, on Tuesday, PM Modi was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other dignitaries on his arrival at the Red Fort and he began his customary address to the nation after raising the tricolour.

“Best wishes on Independence Day. We pay homage to our great freedom fighters and reaffirm our commitment to fulfilling their vision. Jai Hind!,” Prime Minister Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter, before arriving at the Red Fort.

This year’s Independence Day will culminate the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations, which were launched by Prime Minister Modi from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on March 12, 2021, and will usher the country into ‘Amrit Kaal’. (ANI)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi

In His 10th Independence Day Speech, Modi Addresses Countrymen As ‘Parivarjan’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed fellow countrymen as ‘parivarjan’ (family members) on the 77th Independence Day. 

For his 10th Independence Day address from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort, PM Modi carried forward a custom — of wearing colourful turbans — that has become his style statement on this day. 

Continuing with his tradition from 2014, PM Modi donned a multicolour Rajasthani bandhani print turban with an off-white kurta and churidar for the Independence Day celebrations. 

PM Modi was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other dignitaries as he arrived at the Red Fort and began his customary address to the nation after raising the tricolour at the iconic monument.

This year’s Independence Day will culminate the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations, which were launched by the Prime Minister from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on March 12, 2021, and will usher the country into the ‘Amrit Kaal’ (golden era).

PM Modi had previously outlined the Centre’s commitment to make India a developed country by 2047, which will be the centenary year of the country’s independence. 

The Guard of Honour to PM Modi was commanded by Major Vikas Sangwan. The Army Contingent in the Prime Minister’s Guard was commanded by Major Indrajeet Sachin, the Naval contingent by Lieutenant Commander MV Rahul Raman and the Air Force contingent by Squadron Leader Akash Ganghas. The Delhi Police contingent was commanded by Additional DCP Sandhya Swami.

After inspecting the Guard of Honour, PM Modi proceeded to the ramparts of the Red Fort where he was greeted by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, Raksha Rajya Mantri Ajay Bhatt, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande, Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar, and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, the Ministry said.

The GoC, Delhi area escorted Prime Minister Modi to the ramparts of the Red Fort to hoist the national flag.

The Army band, comprising one JCO and 20 other ranks, played the National Anthem during the hoisting of the national flag and the presenting of the ‘Rashtriya Salute’.

The Band was conducted by Naib Subedar Jatinder Singh.

Major Nikita Nair and Major Jasmine Kaur assisted PM Modi in hoisting the national flag.

The flag hoisting was followed by a synchronised 21 Gun Salute by the gunners of the elite 8711 Field Battery (Ceremonial). The ceremonial battery was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Vikas Kumar and the Gun Position Officer will be Naib Subedar (AIG) Anoop Singh.

The National Flag Guard, comprising five officers and 128 other ranks from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police, presented the Rashtriya Salute at the time of the hoisting of the tricolour by PM Modi. Major Abhinav Detha from the Army was in command of this Inter-Services Guard and Police Guard.

As the national flag was hoisted by the Prime Minister, two Advanced Light Helicopters Mark-III Dhruv of the Indian Air Force, in the Line Astern Formation, showered petals on the Red Fort.

The chopper was commandeered by Wing Commander Amber Agarwal and Squadron Leader Himanshu Sharma. (ANI)

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77 anniversary of Independence India Rupee

Rupee Goes Intl- Journey Of Indian Currency Since 1947

India is celebrating its 77 anniversary of Independence and is at the crossroads of realising resilient economic growth for its people during the next 25 years – what the government has described as the country’s “Amrit Kaal”.

Keeping other aspects of the economy aside, let us have a glance at how the Indian rupee from being a relatively weak currency started its journey toward internationalisation. The value of a country’s currency and its usage for global trade are among the key indicators for gauging its economic stride.

Banks from 22 countries have opened special Rupee vostro accounts in Indian banks in order to trade in local currency as part of gradual de-dollarisation plans, the Parliament was informed during the just concluded monsoon session of Parliament.

Simply put, vostro accounts enable domestic banks to provide international banking services to clients who have global banking needs.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State (External Affairs) Rajkumar Ranjan Singh listed out the names of the countries. They include Belarus, Botswana, Fiji, Germany, Guyana, Israel, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, Bangladesh, Maldives, Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom.

The Reserve Bank of India last year put in place an arrangement, allowing transactions in domestic currencies to promote the growth of global trade with an emphasis on exports from India and to bring in increasing interest towards the rupee.

The internationalisation of the rupee gathered steam following the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) announcement of a mechanism to settle payments for international trade in rupees, especially for India’s exports. The RBI allowed invoicing and payments for international trade in Indian Rupee on July 11, 2022.

Experts widely believe if the mechanism fructifies then it may go a long way in internationalizing the Indian currency rupee in the long run.

A currency can be termed “international” if it is widely accepted worldwide as a medium of exchange.

To examine issues related to the internationalisation of the Rupee and suggest a way forward, the RBI had constituted an Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) in December 2021.

The panel has recently come up with a report, where it made various short-term and long-term recommendations.

In the short run, the members of the Group recommended enabling rupee as an additional settlement currency in existing multilateral mechanisms; integrating Indian payment systems with other countries for cross-border transactions; inclusion of G-Secs (or government bonds) in global bond indices; and providing equitable incentives to exporters for rupee trade settlement.

In the long run, its recommendations included a review of taxes on Masala bonds (Masala bonds are rupee-denominated bonds issued outside India by Indian entities); international use of Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) for cross-border trade transactions; examining taxation issues in financial markets to harmonise tax regimes of India and other financial centres; and allowing banking services in rupee outside India through off-shore branches of Indian banks.

Stating India as one of the fastest-growing countries which showed remarkable resilience even in the face of major headwinds, the IDG said it feels that the rupee has the potential to become an internationalised currency.

It is important to note that the US dollar being the reserve currency of almost all countries is detrimental to other currencies, especially in times of sharp volatility in financial markets as it weakens peer currencies.

SBI Research in a report last year, however, noted that the share of the US dollar in global foreign exchange reserves, has been shrinking since the start of the twenty-first century, falling close to 59 per cent as of the end of December 2021, from above 70 per cent two decades back.

Since the cost of imports becomes higher, domestic inflation may be triggered, which in turn may reduce purchasing power in the economy. Rising costs of imports may also increase the current account deficit (CAD).

A widening trade deficit is also a contributing factor to the weakening of the rupee.

The Indian rupee is currently trading at over 83 per US dollar. The value of the rupee was around 4 during the Independence.

A lot has happened on the macroeconomic front ever since 1947 including economic stress in the 1960s led by a slump in food and industrial production. Then came the Indo-China and Indo-Pakistan which widened spending and gave birth to the balance of payments crisis. Faced with high import bills, India was close to default as the foreign exchange reserves had almost dried up.

In 1991, India found itself in a serious economic crisis as the country was not in a position to pay for its imports and service its external debt obligations. Again, India was on the verge of default, which necessitated the much-needed reforms which opened the country’s economy.

To negate the crisis, the Reserve Bank of India reportedly devalued the rupee in two sharp tranches – 9 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively. Post the devaluation, the value of the rupee against the US dollar was around 26.

From Rs 4 during Independence against the then benchmark Pound sterling to around Rs 83 against the US dollar now, the rupee has depreciated by Rs 79 in the past 76 years.

There is, however, a silver lining. Even though the falling rupee may not benefit the entire economy, a devalued currency certainly has its merits as it aids in boosting exports. (ANI)

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Himachal: Over 50 Dead In Last 24 Hrs, Rescue Ops Underway

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday informed that over 50 people have lost their lives within the past 24 hours due to landslides and continuous rainfall in the area. He also expressed concerns that over 20 people are feared to be trapped under debris.

CM Sukhu further informed that ongoing search and rescue efforts are in progress within the region. In light of the unfortunate situation, the state has decided not to hold any cultural festivities for Independence Day.

The chief minister said, “Over 50 people have lost their lives in the state in last 24 hours. Over 20 people are still trapped, the death toll can also increase. Search and rescue operation is underway. We have taken the decision not to organise any cultural programme on the occasion of Independence Day,”

“President Droupadi Murmu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Mallikarjun Kharge, BJP chief JP Nadda, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi have called to provide all possible help to the state government,” the CM added.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the loss of lives at various places in the state is extremely distressing and that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are engaged in rescue and relief operations.

Shah took to microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) to express his deepest condolences to the bereaved families praying to God to give them strength to bear the sorrow, and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.

“The loss of lives due to heavy rains and landslides at various places in Himachal Pradesh is extremely distressing. NDRF teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations along with the local administration. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. May God give them the strength to bear this sorrow. I wish for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Shah shared in a tweet. 

Meanwhile, the state government informed that the movement of trains between Kandaghat-Shimla is cancelled.

“Kalka-Shimla railway track at km 92/6-92/7 between Jutogh & Summer Hill railway stations is washed away after landslide hit Shimla’s Summer Hill area. The movement of trains between Kandaghat-Shimla is cancelled”, the government said in a release.

Shimla DSP Vijay Raghuvanshi said that the rescue operations are underway in the Summer Hill area where the landslide occurred adding that the rain is causing trouble.

“Since morning we have recovered eight dead bodies. It is very difficult to work here. The people are cooperating… We are not sure right now about the number of people who were here…SDM, SP and SDRF all are present here…The rain is causing trouble but we are constantly carrying out our rescue operations…,” the Shimla DSP said.

President Droupadi Murmu also expressed grief at the deaths of several people in rain-related mishaps in Himachal Pradesh.

“I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of many people in unfortunate accidents due to excessive rains in Himachal Pradesh. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” read a rough translation of her message in Hindi on X, formerly Twitter.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda spoke to CM Sukhu and state BJP President Rajeev Bindal, and enquired about the loss due to cloudburst and landslide in the state. He extended full support to Himachal Pradesh by all means.

Earlier today, seven people died after the cloudburst at Jadon village in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan. Two houses and one cowshed also got washed away in the incident.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a possibility of rain in areas of Punjab and Haryana for the next two to three days.

“The areas of Punjab and Haryana which are bordering states to Himachal Pradesh may receive heavy rains,” said Manmohan Singh, Director of the Meteorological Department.

Along with these areas, rain is also expected in Chandigarh as well.

“The temperature which is being recorded at 34 to 36 degrees Celsius in Punjab and Haryana will also see a decrease in the coming weeks.”

The HP Traffic, Tourist and Railways Police informed that the road from Anu-Hamirpur town is closed temporarily. “Use Pakka Bharo or Dang Kawali Road for Anu”, the police shared in a tweet. (ANI)

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Independence Day 50 nurses

I-Day: 50 Nurses From Across Country To Be Special Guests At Red Fort

A total of 50 nurses along with their family members from across the country have been invited as Special Guests to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Tuesday.

According to the government, they will be part of 1800 special guests from various walks of life, ranging from Sarpanches of Vibrant Villages, teachers, farmers, and fishermen, who have been invited to participate in the Independence Day Celebrations at the iconic monument on August 15, 2023.

The initiative to invite people from all walks of life, across India, and be a part of the celebrations has been taken by the Government in line with its vision of ‘Jan Bhagidari’.

Members of the Nursing Community have expressed their appreciation for the Union Government’s initiative. Anita Tomar, Nursing Officer, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi stated, “For inviting us to participate in the Independence Day celebration in New Delhi in recognition of our efforts during COVID, on behalf of the entire nursing community, I would like to thank PM Modi and the Government of India from the bottom of my heart”.

Apart from it, Vandana Kaushik, a Nursing Officer from Safdarjung Hospital, said, “I express my regards to the government for recognizing our efforts and dedication during Covid.  I also want to thank the government for its pro-nurses attitude that it has shown through various development schemes”, said. (ANI)

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77th I-Day: Delhi Under Tight Security Cordon; Sealed Borders, Anti-Drone Radars

Delhi Police has made elaborate security arrangements in the national capital for the 77th Independence Day celebrations.

Over 40,000 security personnel, anti-drone radars, anti-aircraft guns, facial recognition closed circuit TV cameras, and sealed borders are among the security ‘bandobast’ put in place in Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hoist the national flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort on Tuesday morning to a 21-gun salute and then address the nation.

“This time, August 15 is a more sensitive occasion as we have a G-20 meet scheduled three weeks from now in the Indian presidency and the main events will be held in New Delhi,” HGS Dhaliwal, Commissioner of Police of the Special Cell of Delhi Police. India which holds the G20 Presidency this year is hosting the G20 Leaders’ Summit in September this year in the national capital.

“Anti-terror steps are being taken. There are a lot of anti-social elements; in view of that, we are doing whatever the Delhi Police has to do,” the senior police official said.

Previously, Delhi Police had issued an order restricting the flying of para-gliders, para-motors, hang-gliders, UAVs, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), microlight aircraft, remotely piloted aircraft, hot air balloons, small-sized powered aircraft, quadcopters or para-jumping from aircraft in the national capital from July 22 to August 16.

The Delhi Police order said offenders will be punishable under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code.

Expecting a record turnout of around 30,000 attendees, including VIPs and VVIPs, Delhi Police has increased patrolling and checking of vehicles.

Around 1,800 people from different vocations, with their spouses, have been invited from across the country to be a part of the celebrations at Red Fort as Special Guests.

Security planning consists of multi-layered security cover that involves coordination among various security agencies. The National Security Guard (NSG), Special Protection Group (SPG), Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Delhi Police are working together to ensure a safe environment. Paramilitary forces have encircled the Red Fort for a 200-meter radius, while the Delhi Police is taking care of the remaining areas.

Sharpshooters with snipers will be stationed on rooftops in the vicinity of the fort, while helicopters will fly overhead.

The programme is scheduled to commence at 9 am and will continue until noon. Till then, the area will be under complete vigil and strictly a no-fly zone, prohibiting any kind of air balloon, drones and others. Kite-flying will be allowed (above Red Fort) after the culmination of the programme, Delhi Police said.

Moreover, the whole route of PM Modi from Lok Kalyan Marg 7 to Red Fort will be on watch with over 1,000 CCTV cameras.

According to the Delhi Police, the uniformed personnel on the streets are poised to tackle any challenge. “We have received various inputs, based on which adequate measures have been taken,” a senior police officer told ANI.

The borders of the national capital will be sealed tonight, restricting the entry of commercial vehicles, in view of the celebrations of I-Day on Tuesday, and around 3,000 Traffic Police personnel will be deployed across the city to monitor the traffic.

SS Yadav, Special Commissioner of Traffic Police, told ANI that the entry of heavy and medium goods vehicles will be restricted starting tonight and will resume only after the programme ends on Tuesday. Special care is being taken so that the movement of essential services does not get affected.

“On the occasion of the 77th Independence Day, around 3,000 traffic police personnel will be on the streets. The entry of heavy and medium goods vehicles will be restricted on the night of August 14 and will be allowed after the August 15 programme ends. There will be a controlled movement on JLN Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, and parts of Ring Road near Red Fort, with special care being taken that essential services do not get affected,” Yadav told ANI.

He said that police officials will be deployed around the Red Fort and will guide the programme attendees. “There is a parking arrangement for the guests coming to the Red Fort on the occasion of Independence Day, be they common people or diplomats from different countries,” he added.

Joy Tirkey, DCP North East Delhi, said that in view of the August 15 celebrations, thousands of police personnel will be deployed across the district, along with on the borders of the North East district. “All the vehicles will be checked, and the police will keep vigil on every move,” he said. (ANI)

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The Indian Medical Association (IMA) National Medical Commission (NMC) prescribing generic drugs.

Generic Drugs Promotion By NMC Is Like Running Trains Without Tracks: IMA

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has shown concern over the latest guidelines issued by National Medical Commission (NMC) prescribing generic drugs.

“The ill-advised steps taken by NMC on the issue of generic drugs is an emergency. The regulation is mandatory for doctors to prescribe only generic drugs. It is a matter of great concern for IMA since this directly impacts patients’ care and safety. Generic promotion needs to be genuine. Running trains without tracks is how the present promotion of generic drugs by NMC appears to be,” said IMA in its statement.

IMA further said that the new guidelines of the NMC will not be in the best interest of the patient.

“NMC insists on its ethics guidelines to write prescriptions only in generic names. This measure is just shifting the choice from a medical practitioner who is primarily concerned, trained and responsible for the patients’ health than a chemist/person sitting in chemist shop, who is selling drugs. This naturally wouldn’t be in the best interest of the patient. (We should refrain from just cost cutting irrespective of quality treatment) If doctors are not allowed to prescribe branded drugs, then why such drugs should be licensed at all, given that modern medicine drugs can be dispensed only on the prescription of doctors of this system,” IMA stated.

The IMA has also said that the government, if serious about implementing generic drugs should give licence only to generics and not to any branded drugs while ensuring quality of generic drugs. Making quality brands available in the market but disallowing doctors who are responsible for patients’ health, from prescribing them seems dubious, the statement said.

“The biggest impediment to generic drugs is the uncertainty about its quality. The quality control in the nation is very weak, there’s practically no guarantee of the quality of drugs and prescribing drugs without assured quality would be detrimental to patient health. Less than 0.1 per cent of the drugs manufactured in India are tested for quality. This step should be deferred till the Government can assure the quality of all the drugs released into the market,” it said.

The statement issued by the IMA also stated that it urged the government to have ‘one drug, one quality, one price system.’

“IMA had been demanding for long that only good quality drugs should be made available in the

country and prices should be uniform and affordable. IMA urges Government to have ‘one drug,

one quality, one price’ system whereby all brands should be either sold at the same price which

should be controlled or banned and only generics allowed while ensuring the highest quality of these drugs. The present system will only put a huge dilemma in the minds of practitioners and cause unnecessary blaming of Medical Profession by the society,” IMA said in its statement.

IMA further demanded intervention by the Centre and NMC regarding guidelines,”The notification is an injustice to doctors who always hold the interest of their patients as non-negotiable. IMA demands the deferring of this Regulation for wider consultations by the Government of India and IMA also calls for serious and urgent intervention by Union Government and NMC in this regard.”

According to the new NMC guidelines, all doctors will mandatorily be required to prescribe generic drugs failing which they will be penalised and even their license to practice may also be suspended for a particular period.

The NMC in its notified ‘Regulations relating to Professional Conduct of Registered Medical Practitioners” also asked doctors to avoid prescribing branded generic drugs.

The regulations notified on August 2, stated, “India’s out-of-pocket spending on medications accounts for a major proportion of public spending on health care. Further, generic medicines are 30 per cent to 80 per cent cheaper than branded drugs. Hence, prescribing generic medicines may overtly bring down health care costs and improve access to quality care.”

Under the generic medicine and prescription guidelines of the regulations, the NMC defined generic drugs a “drug product that is comparable to brand/reference listed product in dosage in dosage form, strength, route of administration, quality and performance characteristics, and intended use.” (ANI)

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Pakistan

Pak’s Media Regulatory Authority Bans Airtime For 11 Proclaimed Offenders

Eleven ‘proclaimed offenders’ or ‘absconders’, who include some former military and media personnel will not get any airtime as per the direction from Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), Geo News reported on Monday.

The report said that the authority took the decision citing the Sindh High Court (SHC) on constitutional petitions. Pemra said that such people cannot enjoy certain rights such as appearing on television.

The list of people banned by the authority includes Moeed Peerzada, Anchorman Syed Akbar Hussain Shah, Anchorperson Sabir Shakir, Journalist Wajahat Saeed Khan, Youtuber and social media influencer Adil Farooq Raja, Journalist Haider Raza Mehdi, Journalist Shaheen Sehbai, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)Party member Ali Nawaz Awan, PTI member Murad Saeed, PTI west Punjab president Farrukh Habib and PTI Leader Hammad Azhar.

The Pemra directive banned the media coverage of the above-mentioned individuals under section 27 of the Pemra Ordinance 2002, terming them proclaimed offenders.

Section 27 of the ordinance states: “The Authority shall by order in writing, giving reasons therefore, prohibit any broadcast media or distribution service operator from –

(a) broadcasting or re-broadcasting or distributing any programme or advertisement if it is of the opinion that such particular programme or advertisement is against the ideology of Pakistan or is likely to create hatred among the people or is prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order or is likely to disturb public peace and tranquillity or endangers national security or is pornographic, obscene or vulgar or is offensive to the commonly accepted standards of decency; or

(b) engaging in any practice or act which amounts to abuse of media power by way of harming the legitimate interests of another licensee or willfully causing damage to any other person.”

The Saturday directive added that any news, reports, statements, or tickers of these individuals on electronic media and broadcast was prohibited. (ANI)

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Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh

U’khand: Houses Submerge In Rishikesh, 20 People Rescued

State Disaster Response Force personnel have in swift action rescued 20 people trapped in the Ambagh area of Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh following heavy waterlogging in the area.

Acting on information that people were trapped in their houses that were submerged due to waterlogging in Seema Dental area, the SDRF team used rafts to rescue 20 people and take them to a safe place, the force said in a statement on Monday.

Meanwhile, SDRF teams carried out rescue operations throughout the night in areas like Kharasrot, IDPL Colony, Laxmanjhula area, Ambagh and Bhogpur in Rishikesh. 

Due to heavy rains in Uttarakhand since Sunday, normal life has been disrupted in Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pauri and Dehradun districts among other areas.

Several areas in the State are witnessing waterlogging.

SDRF also rescued six people including a pregnant woman from a house that was submerged due to the overflowing Song river in the Raiwala area of ​​the Dehradun district. The pregnant woman was shifted to a local hospital.

The situation in several parts of the state is grim following heavy rainfall.

Commandant of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Manikant Mishra led an ongoing rescue operation for a family trapped under debris in Pauri Garhwal’s Garud Chatti.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a high-level meeting with officials on Monday to take stock of the relief and rescue efforts in different parts of the state.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued a red alert and predicted heavy rainfall with lightning in six districts of the state for the next twenty-four hours.

Very heavy to extremely heavy rain/thunderstorm accompanied by lightning and very intense to extremely intense spell is very likely to occur at isolated places in Dehradun, Pauri, Tehri, Nainital, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar today, as per IMD.

Ashok Kumar DGP (Uttarakhand) said that since August 12 the State has been witnessing heavy rainfall, especially in the Garhwal area.

“At all the places the roads are closed and the police and SDRF team are on alert. In the Chamoli and Uttarkashi Mori area, there was a cloudburst. In Rishikesh, there’s huge waterlogging. We appeal to all the people to not go to hilly regions,” the DGP said.

Heavy damage was caused by the late night heavy rainfall in Mayapur of Nagar Panchayat Pipalkoti of Chamoli.

Earlier, Badrinath National Highway in the Pipalkoti area in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district has been blocked due to debris triggered by a landslide, following intermittent rainfall. Several vehicles have also been buried under the debris.

Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana told ANI, “Due to heavy debris coming from the mountain in Pipalkoti, many vehicles were buried under the debris and the roads were closed. At present there is no information about loss of life or property.”

“Some portion of the road has been damaged due to heavy debris near Pipalkoti on the Badrinath National Highway,” Chamoli Police Uttarakhand said in a tweet.

According to Chamoli DM Himanshu Khurana, heavy damage has been caused by heavy rains in the Mayapur of Nagar Panchayat Pipalkoti.

“On Sunday night in Chamoli Badrinath National Highway Mayapur Gadora, the devastation caused havoc in the Mayapur market. Many vehicles in Mayapur are feared to be buried under the debris caused by the intermittent rains,” Chamoli DM said.

Amid incessant rainfall, the water of the Nandakini River entered houses of Kumartoli locality in Rishikesh.

Drain water entered inside shops in Pipalkoti in Chamoli district on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, Rudraprayag Police have issued guidelines asking people to avoid unnecessary travel.

“Due to incessant rains, the Mandakini and Alaknanda rivers passing through the Rudraprayag area have become fierce, so avoid going to the banks of the river. Due to the rain, the routes are also obstructed at many places, so avoid unnecessary travel if it is not necessary,” Rudraprayag Police, Uttarakhand tweeted.

The Alaknanda River is in full spate and has reached above the danger mark.

Uttarakhand’s Srinagar Kotwal Ravi Saini said that “In view of the rising water level of the river, the police have been alerting the people since night, and the people of the houses built on the banks of the river are being alerted.”

An official estimate earlier put the toll from rain-related incidents at 52 while another 37 people were injured. Heavy rains in Uttarakhand triggered landslides and flash floods in several places, officials said. (ANI)

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